In 1964
Tuesday, Jan. 14 — City Council, at its regular January meeting last night bought Suburban Gas Company and agreed to a bypass proposal made by the State Highway Department and containing several stipulations made by the city. The council also passed a gas bond ordinance which will be published in the future.

The public is invited to an information meeting at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday at the local CYFD office, 2518 Ridge Runner Road, to learn about foster and adoptive parenting opportunities with New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. There are currently 33 children in foster care in San Miguel County.

Submit your calendar items and notices to mlopez@lasvegasoptic.com
• The San Miguel Unit of the American Red Cross helps with any natural disaster and house fires. Persons interested in becoming a member are asked to contact Contact Connie Chavez at 425-6224. Meetings are held every third Thursday at 6 p.m. in Faith Hall.
• The San Miguel County DWI Safe-Ride-Home Service operates from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Rides are provided in the Las Vegas area from liquor establishments to your home, for service call 429-0336.

WEDNESDAY MIERCOLES
• Story Time at Carnegie Library, 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the children’s area of the public library. This week’s book is “Penguin’s Hidden Talent” by Alex Latimer. Free and open to the public.

There’s no denying that the signs of abuse and neglect were there long before 9-year-old Omaree Varela of Albuquerque died, allegedly at the hands of his mother.

The boy was kicked to death on Dec. 27, and police have arrested 38-year-old Synthia Varela-Casaus on a charge of child abuse resulting in death.

The tragic death has raised questions about whether authorities — specifically police, the Albuquerque district attorney’s office and state Children, Youth and Families Department caseworkers — dropped the ball.

New Mexico’s haphazard process of annually awarding hundreds of millions of dollars to state agencies, and to city, county and tribal governments, for special projects wastes tax dollars on projects that are not ready to be built, are not integrated into an overall plan, cannot be properly maintained or will not be managed by a financially responsible entity.